Stop! If You Don’t, I’ll...

The Sudden TwistIt was still within Luca's expectations.

His "Insightful Eyes" revealed crucial information: the Rose Countess was deeply concerned about her noble reputation. An eating disorder like anorexia was a significant matter for a vampire. If word got out to other bloodsuckers, she'd be reduced to a laughingstock, perhaps even nailed to the Pillory of Shame! After all, a vampire refusing blood? Would she start drinking pure milk instead?

However, Luca understood the situation better than anyone. The Countess didn't truly dislike blood. As her preferences showed, blood remained her number one choice. It was more likely that her obsession with the quality of blood had reached such extremes that it triggered the disorder in the first place.

"I'm starting to like you less, little one. It's incredibly rude to expose the secrets of a noble," the Rose Countess's eerie gaze glinted with deadly intent.Blood-red threads like living creatures extended from behind her, gently brushing against Luca's cheek. The sensation was both strange and foreboding.He could feel it… Death was closer than ever.

Behind him, Lina struggled. Her nurse's uniform, once pristine, was now drenched in blood, fitting her ethereal form in an ominous way. A faint, grey pair of wings unfolded from her back, and her eyes became cold, fading to a pale grey.

"Hmm?" The Rose Countess raised an eyebrow, surprised by the grey wings sprouting from Lina's back."Little ghost, I suggest you don't act rashly. While your little 'winged companion' is bothersome, she isn't yet a threat I fear," she remarked.

"Let him go," Lina's voice was ice-cold as she stood her ground, her will unyielding under immense pressure.

"Why?" The Countess's confusion deepened. She could understand a ghost protecting a human for various reasons, but to this extent? Why would Lina go this far for someone as insignificant as Luca?

"Because he cured a long-standing illness of mine," Lina replied coldly, the unspoken part lingering in her mind but left unsaid: Because he's my friend.

Meanwhile, in a Different Consultation RoomThe director of the Third Hospital and several colleagues gathered, their faces a mix of anxious anticipation. They hoped the Rose Countess would kill Luca and then leave. But they also feared her anger if her ailment remained untreated.

"Lina and the human's aura is gone. It must have been covered by the Countess's blood domain," the director spoke grimly. The other doctors stiffened, their worry palpable.

"He's as good as dead. If we couldn't solve her problem, what hope does that kid have?" the wolf-man doctor sneered.

"Let's just hope the Countess calms down after killing him and doesn't take her anger out on us," the bird-mask doctor muttered, glancing around nervously.

"Doubtful…" The alchemist sounded ominous, "How many times has the Countess visited? Her condition still isn't fixed, and those who knew the details are dead. If we can't treat her, no one can predict what a blood-clothed being might do when pushed too far."

"Wait," the director said, his glasses gleaming faintly. The room fell into a heavy silence.

Back in Luca's Consultation RoomThe Countess's blood-red domain filled the room. Luca reached out, his hand stiff, and grabbed Lina's hand, feeling the intense cold radiating from her. A shiver ran down his spine as frost began to form on his palm.

"Lina, trust me, I never said I couldn't cure the Rose Countess," Luca said, his voice steady despite the grim situation.

The tense atmosphere in the room relaxed a bit as the Countess's surprised gaze shifted toward Luca. Her skepticism was clear, but a part of her still desperately hoped her disorder would finally be solved.

"You really think you can cure me?" she asked, her voice slightly less menacing.

"Of course," Luca replied confidently, "I wouldn't risk my life unless I was sure. After all, life's too short to waste." His words seemed to ease her doubts slightly.

"Well, let's hear it." The Countess's voice had turned colder again, but the hunger for her cure was unmistakable.

Luca turned to Lina and gave her a small smile. "Mind if I borrow your scalpel?"

Though Lina was confused, she nodded and handed it to him. Luca grimaced, silently lamenting, The Buddha once cut his flesh to feed an eagle… Now here I am, cutting my finger to feed a vampire.

He swiftly sliced his finger, and a stream of blood flowed out. Immediately, a scent filled the air—one that humans couldn't detect, but to the supernatural, it was intoxicating.

The Rose Countess's eyes locked on it with an almost predatory focus, and even Lina, not a vampire, felt a strange desire stir within her.

Just as Luca thought the blood would drip onto the desk, the Countess moved in an elegant blur, pulling his finger to her lips, sucking the blood in one swift motion.

Her face changed immediately, her previous emptiness replaced with a vibrant hunger, her eyes now glowing with satisfaction.

Luca was taken aback, feeling the strange sensation of his energy being drained away. He barely noticed as his vision blurred and his body grew weak, his once sturdy form now paling alongside Lina's.

"Luca!" Lina cried out, snapping him back to reality.

"Stop!" he gasped, his voice hoarse and weak. "If you don't stop… I'm going to die!"

The Rose Countess, enchanted by the blood, hesitated but her grip tightened. Luca's breath came in short gasps as his life seemed to slip away in the Countess's seductive embrace.

The moment felt endless, until Luca shouted with all his remaining strength, "Lady, you know what it's like… A full meal, every meal... Do you understand?!"

The Countess's eyes flickered with sudden clarity, the bloodlust still present but momentarily subdued.